Jonmac writes:
> A magnetic sump plug is a good idea as well, although it's an
> idea not to become too paranoid about the minute pieces of
> swarf you'll find on it every time you change the oil.
Good idea. Glad it was brought up.
Now for a bad idea. I am sure some of you have seen a filter screen being
offered on TV, probably Speedchannel or TNN (during the DIY auto shows).
These are a VERY bad idea. For those who have not seen the ads, this is a
precut piece of metal mesh which look similar to the type of mesh used in
gold coffee filters. The idea is that the screen will catch any large bits
of your engine before it gets into the filter.
It is a bad idea because it does not have much surface area, any detrimental
component failure is going to clog the inlet to the filter and cut off oil
to the rest of your engine. Your filter's job is to catch these particles
and needless to say, your pleated filter has much more surface area to
accomplish this task. So even if your filter swallows an entire bearing (in
pieces), it will still pass oil. That filter screen will severely hinder,
reduce or stop oil flow.
Kai
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